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Rick Longley

Author on Reedsy Prompts since Nov, 2025

Stories (2)
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2 Stories

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Asteroidal Dragoons

Submitted to Contest #329

The mavericks back at headquarters didn't realise that the drill-bit needed to be quantum. 'That's as far as it will go,' the Engineer hollers. 'More steam!' I say to him, shouting through the pneumatic messenger. My voice echoes through the brass piping of this behemoth we're operating. On the other end, I hear the Engineer harumph, then he loads more coal. I feel the change immediately, both my hands dug into the control panel, the heat coursing through them almost painful. Reminds me of summers on Neptune, once the Cyber-Queen's Dragoo...

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A Mage, His Seagull, and a Serpent with a Broken Heart.

Submitted to Contest #329

'You keep going like that,' the seagull says to me, 'and you'll be jumping off this island when the smokes run out.' I nod and ignite the pipe anyway. The leaves fail to light. 'This stuff is getting worse somehow.' The seagull pauses his search for a butter knife, 'Almost enough to quit?' Saying ancient words, I jam a bright flame suspended from my index finger into the pipe. Earthy tastes of awful leaves envelop me. 'Not enough.' Outside, a wave almost topples our island. A hard slab of water slammed against an improbable spire our cottage...

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